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Davis: Assaulted officers did right thing

Baltimore City Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said his officers did the right thing during a confrontation earlier this week that included a police trainee getting punched. The incident was captured by a bystander on video and widely circulated online. The video captures part of the encounter Tuesday afternoon on Broadway in southeast Baltimore between a male police trainee, a female officer and a man on the street. It started, Davis said, because the officers heard the man yelling obscenities from across the street and confronted the man.

Baltimore City Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said his officers did the right thing during a confrontation earlier this week that included a police trainee getting punched. The incident was captured by a bystander on video and widely circulated online. The video captures part of the encounter Tuesday afternoon on Broadway in southeast Baltimore between a male police trainee, a female officer and a man on the street. It started, Davis said, because the officers heard the man yelling obscenities from across the street and confronted the man.

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Updated: 5:29 PM EDT Oct 9, 2015

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WEBVTT NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT POLICE CONDUCT AND USE OF FORCE. THE VIDEO TAKEN BY A BYSTANDER AND POSTED TO THE INTERNET CAPTURES PART OF THE ENCOUNTER TUESDAY AFTERNOON ON BROADWAY IN SOUTHEST BALTIMORE BETWEEN A MALE POLICE TRAINEE AND FEMALE OFFICER AND A MAN ON THE STREET. IT STARTED, THE INTERIM POLICE COMMISSIONER SAYS, BECAUSE THE OFFICERS HEARD THE MAN YELLING OBSCENTIES FROM ACROSS THE STREET AND CONFRONTED THE MAN. THE TWO OFFICERS ARGUE WITH THE MAN TELLING HIM TO STOP, AT ONE POINT ASKING FOR I.D. THE VERBAL JAWING CONTINUES. YOU WANT TO BE DISORDERLY OR YOU WANT TO WALK OFF? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET MY -- FACE. JAYNE: 15 SECONDS AFTER THAT, THE TWO OFFICERS TRY TO ARREST THE MAN. HE RESISTS AND EVENTUALLY BREAKS FREE. THE OFFICERS DO NOT USE THEIR TASERS. THEY BRIEFLY LOSE CONTROL AND THE VIDEO SHOWS THE MAN PUNCHES THE MALE TRAINEE, KNOCKING HIM TO THE SIDEWALK. THE MAN THEN WRESTLES WITH THE OFFICERS, APPARENTLY CAUSING BYSTANDERS TO THINK HE MIGHT BE GRABBING AN OFFICER'S GUN. BACK UP! JAYNE: A THIRD OFFICER SOON ARRIVES AND THE MAN IS ARRESTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO FIVE OR SIX TIMES. I THINK THE OFFICERS SHOWED REMARKABLE RESTRAINT. JAYNE: INTERIM POLICE COMMISSIONER KEVIN DAVIS TODAY PRAISED THE OFFICERS AND SAID THEY WERE DOING THEIR JOB NOT ESCALATING TENSION. WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY, WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP EXPECT US TO DO IN THAT SITUATION WHERE THIS MAN IS OBVIOUSLY ACTING IN A DISORDERLY AND BIZARRE WAY. JAYNE: DAVIS INVOKED THE SO-CALLED YOUTUBE EFFECT. THE IDEA OFFICERS ARE AFRAID TO ACT FOR FEAR OF BEING PUT ON CAMERA AND HE PUT THE INCIDENT IN WHAT HE CALLED THE CONTEST OF A NATIONAL DEBATE. THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY PROMPTING PEOPLE TO VIDEOTAPE ALL POLICE INTERACTIONS. BUT WHEN THESE UNUSUAL INCIDENTS OCCUR, I THINK IT'S A MOMENT WE SHOULD ALL TAKE TO EXAMINE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW SEEMS TO PROMPT THIS KIND OF SCENARIO. JAYNE: THE MAN SEEN IN THE VIDEO, 21-YEAR-OLD JAMES FREDERICK YOUNG, IS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT. THE INTERIM COMMISSIONER ACKNOWLEDGED POLICE GET USED TO BEING ON CAMERA. THE CITY'S PILOT PROJECT FOR POLICE BODY CAMERAS STARTS LATER

Davis: Assaulted officers did right thing

Baltimore City Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said his officers did the right thing during a confrontation earlier this week that included a police trainee getting punched. The incident was captured by a bystander on video and widely circulated online. The video captures part of the encounter Tuesday afternoon on Broadway in southeast Baltimore between a male police trainee, a female officer and a man on the street. It started, Davis said, because the officers heard the man yelling obscenities from across the street and confronted the man.